Alcatel Launches The IDOL 4 and IDOL 4S

Alcatel has announced not one but two new Android phones today at MWC: The IDOL 4 and their budget friendly flagship IDOL 4S. Both devices will be running Android Marshmallow when they are released and both have a significant number of additional features beyond just the standard specifications. Both devices will ship with a VR goggles to give you virtual reality out-of-the-box and both devices come with unique Boom key which gives you enhanced features in apps that are running on the device.

Specification wise, the IDOL 4 has pretty good specs and is certainly aimed at the budget market. Given it has 3GB of RAM built in, it should perform very well with Marshmallow.

Display: 5.2″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Display

Software: Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Alcatel IDOL 4

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 617

RAM: 3GB

Storage: 16GB built-in (MicroSD support up to 512GB)

Camera: 13MP rear-facing, 8MP front-facing

Battery: 2,610mAh

The IDOL 4S is a little bit more beefy when it comes to specifications with a slightly better processor and more storage, but still, nothing to frown upon overall.

Display: 5.5″ Quad-HD (1440 x 2560) AMOLED Display

Software: Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 652

RAM: 3GB

Storage: 32GB (MicroSD support up to 512GB)

Camera: 16MP rear-facing, 8MP front-facing

Battery: 3000mAh

The unique Boom key is where Alcatel is trying to go their own way in providing a unique user experience. Here is what Alcatel outlines that you can do with this new feature:

Boom my camera: Instantly takes photos on standby mode pressing and holding the button puts the camera into burst mode to take photos in quick succession.

Boom my gallery: Artistically shuffles the photos in the gallery for instant sharing as a photo collage or a short slideshow.

Boom my videos: Generates immediate, surprising effects in existing videos, such as replaying the previous one second of the video three times, or changing the playback speed. When a user is recording a video, pressing the Boom Key will immediately broadcast the video live.

Boom my music: Conceived by ALCATEL and creatively engineered by Waves, the audio experience is automatically optimized across all media with simply one touch. The bass, loudness and clarity of the sound is enhanced, enriching the whole user experience.

Boom my game: Asphalt fans will love how the Boom Key amps up their race by releasing the Nitro and boosting the car speed. It also boosts the audio experience by increasing the volume and adding spatial sound reproduction.

Boom my view: Creates a more intense 3D effect (parallax UI effect) for the launcher and a stunning, live weather display as part of the homescreen.

We will have to see if these new Boom features really take off but at first blush, they look pretty interesting.

Finally, both the IDOL 4 and the IDOL 4S will ship with VR goggles and you can download apps from the companies VR store for virtual gaming and viewing experiences. It is has become quite clear that VR is the hot trend for 2016 and with Alcatel shipping googles with phones, not as an additional purchase, that will certainly grab some attention for them.